Through the Looking Glass of Max's Mind
by ElphieThroppDG28
Summary: Before Bella the Vampire appeared on the island, her life in Max's drawings was exciting and adventurous. But after four long years locked away in his mind, she knows it's time to break free - and life as she and Max know it will change forever. ABANDONED.
1. A Peek Inside My Brain and How It Works

Hey, everyone! LOL I know this isn't a very bright idea, making a new story since I've got two other to update and all, but I was brainstorming last night, and I thought that this would be a fun idea. So I'm gonna try it, and in the event that no one likes it, I'll remove it and say that I at least made an attempt.

Since inserting Bella the Vampire into my other WTWTA fanfic, I had the idea to write a story about her life as a character inside Max's creative mind. I know that this is treading on dangerous grounds because: 1) Bella has some Mary-Sue tendencies, and 2) going into Max's brain means creating other characters to live there. I assure you that I'll try my best at this, and like I said, if no one likes it, I will delete this.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own WTWTA or the movie or the book or anything related. But I do own all the OCs that I create in this story. And I don't own the title, either (which was inspired by _Alice in Wonderland_).

SUMMARY: Bella the Vampire's life in Max's drawings was the perfect balance of adventure and happiness. Then the fateful day comes when he locks her away in his mind. There she stays for four years, unhappy and lonely, until she finds the door to freedom and escapes. Now she must face Max and the Wild Things, and in a course of startling events, their lives are changed - forever.

Enjoy!


	2. Prologue: A New Start

_This takes place when Bella is playing _Titanic _in her tree house and Max wants to play with her, but she, obviously, tells him off. This is what happens after he leaves._

Prologue: A New Start

Max sadly walked to the backyard, dropping his toy dump truck with a thud. His older sisters were, once again, ignoring him. Claire had gone off to with one of her friends, and Bella had vehemently denied him the chance to climb up in her tree house. Was there something wrong with him? Was there a reason no one ever seemed to want him around?

_No one wikes me anymow…_he thought to himself sadly, starting to cry.

_**Don't cry, Max…**_came a voice out of nowhere.

Max looked up. "Who said dat?" he asked in his toddler drawl, whipping around. "Belly? Claywa?"

No one came out. Max figured that the person was scared of him, and, this realization being very hard on him, cried some more.

_**Please don't cry…**_came the voice again.

Max peeked through his fingers. "Why can't Maxie see you?" he asked.

_**I'm a little shy, **_the voice said. _**But if you look really hard, I'll bet you'll be able to see me.**_

Max scrunched up his eyes, having the strange feeling that only he knew what this person looked like. He imagined brown hair, hazel eyes, pale skin…

He opened his eyes and saw a girl in front of him. She looked to be about Bella's age; in fact…she _looked _like Bella, too…

"Who awe you?" Max asked.

"I'm your imaginary friend," the person said, smiling. She even sounded like Bella.

Max became angry. "No yow not," he said. "Maxie doesn't wanna see Belly wite now."

The person didn't go away. "Who's Belly?"

"You awe," Max said. "You don't wike me. You hate me."

The person sighed, then was suddenly gone. Max was happy that she'd disappeared, and went back to playing with his truck.

His happiness didn't last long. Five seconds later, the person was back.

"Is…is Bella your sister?"  
Max nodded. "That's you. Now go away. Maxie wants to be by hisswelf."

"Max, Bella is still in her tree house. I'll show you."

She held his hand, and before Max knew it, they were standing at the base of the huge tree in the front yard. Up in the tree house was Bella, humming to herself.

Max was confused. "But…why do you wook wike Belly if yow not her?"

"I'm your imaginary friend," the person reminded him. "You made me look this way." She looked up at Bella. "I think you miss her."

They returned to the backyard, where Max broke down in a fit of crying. "Why does Belly hate me?" he asked. "Maxie nevew did anyfing to her!"

"Max, calm down," the person said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."

Max looked at the person. "Wiw you be my sistew instead?"

The person giggled. "No, I'm afraid I can't. But I can be your friend, and I can play games with you."

Max liked this idea of having a friend. "Weely?"

"Uh-huh. Whenever you wanna play, all you have to do is think of me, and there I'll be."

Max nodded. "OK." He looked at her again. "Awe you a pewson or a angel?"

The person frowned. "I don't know. I'm whatever you want me to be. It's your imagination."

Max thought for a moment. "I want you to be…a vampiwe!"

The person nodded. "Okay." She opened her mouth, and suddenly two fangs appeared.

"Cool!" Max exclaimed. "What else can you do?"

"That's up to you," the person answered.

"Um…you can eat both peoples and aminals! And…yow weely fast, and stwong!"

"Sounds good," the person said. "Are you gonna give me a name?"

"Uh-huh," Max said. "Yow gonna be…Belly."

"Bella?"

"Yep." Max's smile grew. "Belly…the Vampiwe!"


	3. 1: Happy Birthday!

_Thanks to CarolJudithFan for reviewing!_

_-_

CHAPTER ONE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

It was dark. That was all she knew. The dark that she'd been in for so long. It was back.

She felt around, trying to find some sort of light. That's what it was called, wasn't it? The glowing brightness that made it easier to see. She had heard Max call it that…or maybe he'd called it something else…

Her hand brushed over something. An opening of sorts. What was it doing here, in the dark? She made to push it open when she hesitated. What was waiting on the other side? Something that would eat her? Whatever was there, it couldn't be any worse than the dark.

She hated the dark. It was where she'd been changed only a few moments ago. She'd been a mere soul, floating, waiting to become something. She had felt herself take the form of a ten-year-old girl, and suddenly, there she was, on soft green stuff and in front of a little boy. She had no idea what to say to him or what to do; it had all just come to her somehow. It was like someone was putting words into her mouth, and she was saying them.

She thought about her life as a soul. It was a simple sort of life, just hanging in space, not doing anything. Humans were much different from souls. They were loud, and very unpredictable. Bella wasn't sure she wanted to be shaped in the form of a human.

She took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.

On the other side were two massive oak doors, with gilded handles and intricate carvings on its panels. Light – she was sure that's what it was called – poured from under the doors, illuminating the small room she had just entered. In front of the doors was a boy in white, with big fluffy things coming out of his back.

"Welcome to the world of Max's Mind," he said. His voice was very nice, almost like music.

Bella stared at him. "Mind?" she repeated.

"Yes. This is Max's Mind."

"What is a Mind?"

The boy looked at her as though she'd sprouted a second head. "You don't know what a Mind is?"

"No."

"It's a Brain. A Cranium. The place where Thoughts are born."

_Thoughts…_Thoughts were in the head, so that meant that this Mind had to be….She pointed to her head.

"You've got it. This is the Mind of Max. Actually, the Mind is on the other side of these doors. I'm the gatekeeper, Matthew. I am an angel."

"Angel?" She had heard that word once before. Max had asked her if she was one. Was she?

"An angel? White clothes, huge wings?" He pointed behind him at the fluffy things. "Sweet and angelic?"

Bella cocked her head.

Matthew sighed. "I can see that you have much to learn about this world. Can I at least have your name? You do know what a name is, right?"

Bella nodded, trying to remember what that was. It was an address, something a person knew you by. What had Max named her? Bellow…Belly…Bella…Bella!

"My name is Bella," she said, then added, "Bella the Vampire."

Matthew raised his eyebrows. "Vampire, huh? Can I see…you know…" He pointed to his mouth.

"Fangs?" She remembered Max using that term.

"Yes. Fangs."

She opened her mouth, and he looked in. "Very cute fangs you have there," he commented.

"Thank you." She wasn't sure what "cute" was, but it sounded like he liked her teeth.

"What do you eat? Humans? Animals?"

What had Max told her she ate? Wasn't it humans _and _animals?

"Both," she finally said.

"Any special abilities?"

"I can…run…fast," she recounted slowly. "And I'm…strong, too."

Matthew nodded. "What type of Being are you?"

"A vampire…" She wasn't sure why he was asking this; he already knew.

"Oh, no," he said, laughing in a kind way. "A vampire is the type of species that you are. A Being is like a Thought, a Feeling…"

Bella shook her head. "I'm…I'm not sure…"

"What was the first thing you told Max when you appeared?"

Bella's eyes widened. How had he known about that? Despite her fear, she remembered her words and repeated them.

"I'm his imaginary friend."

"An I.F.," said Matthew, more to himself than to her. "First one. Oh, they are going to love you."

"Who?"

"The other Beings in the Mind," Matthew said. "Surely you didn't think there was just me?"

"How many are there?"

Matthew shook his head, laughing. "I can't even keep track of how many Beings come in and out of Max's mind each day. There are just too many. You'll see what I mean." He turned around and pushed open the great oak doors.

It hit her so fast she wasn't sure how she was going to take it all in. There were very tall, boxy things, with clear square openings dotting them everywhere, outlining a blue sky with fluffy clouds. There were gray flat things where big clunky machines rode on. And people. People everywhere. No, not all of them were people. Some had three heads, some had four eyes; multiple limbs, different skin colors. And the noise. The air was full of it. Honks, beeps, yells came from every direction.

"Welcome to Max's Mind," said Matthew proudly. "I'll give you a tour after your initiation."

"What?" Bella asked. She hadn't heard him over the roar of the noise, and she also didn't know what this in-ish-ee-ashion was.

"Hang on," Matthew said. He led her to the middle of the boxy things, where a wooden square stood. They climbed on, and Matthew pulled a stick that stuck out of the bottom. They began to rise in the air, like magic.

The Beings looked up as the square lifted into the air. Bella was too frightened to wave, so she just stared at all of them, trying to memorize their shapes and colors.

Matthew took a gray stick and started to talk into it. "Attention!" came his voice from the little box at the top of the stick (more magic!). "Attention the Beings of Max's Mind!"

The noise instantly died away. All were watching the two of them. Bella didn't know if she liked this.

"This is Bella the Vampire!" Matthew told them. "The very first Imaginary Friend!"

A roar came from the creatures below. They looked to be smacking their hands and tentacles and claws together in approval.

"And you all know what that means!" Matthew said.

The Beings all started chatting excitedly as big multi-colored bubbles began to appear on the wooden square. Out of nowhere came a colorful rectangle with the words "Happy Birthday!" on it.

Matthew moved his arms, and everyone began to sing a song called "Happy Birthday To You." Bella wasn't sure if she should be flattered or not.

"Blow out the candle!" Matthew whispered as one single stick burned with a little light.

Bella looked at him. "What's blow?"

Matthew made air come from his mouth, and Bella copied him, accidentally making the light on the stick go out. "I broke it!" she exclaimed.

"No, that's what was supposed to happen!" Matthew said as the Beings slapped their hands together again. "We're celebrating your birthday!"

"Birthday?"

"You know…the day you were born? From the Hall of Thinks?"

Bella stared blankly at him.

"Like I said, you have a lot to learn." He handed her a piece of the rectangle. "Birthday Girl gets the first piece."


	4. 2: Mind of a Toddler

_Hey! Thanks to everyone who's reviewing and reading! It means so much to me!_

_P.S. The idea about the paper airplanes - called messages from the Brain - are a reference to those cute little airplane things at the Ministry of Magic in the _Harry Potter _series by J.K. Rowling. But I obviously don't own that. If I did, I'd be worth more than the Queen of England (or so I've been told that's how much Rowling is worth...)._

_Enjoy!_

-

CHAPTER TWO: THE MIND OF A TODDLER

After eating two slices of cake (the colorful rectangle), Bella was given a tour of her new home. She couldn't believe how huge it was. Beyond the city (the huge boxy things) were endless green valleys, numerous little villages, dark forests, and modern-day suburbs. There was even a castle where some of Max's more royal creations lived.

She learned that each particle from Max's Mind came from the Hall of Thinks, which was what a Being was called before it actually took a distinct form. Matthew showed Bella the little floating orbs that were patiently awaiting their exciting new lives. She even saw a few disappear, and Matthew explained that they had appeared somewhere else in the Mind, depending on what they had become.

She learned all about the different types of Beings. The majority of Max's mind was filled with Thoughts – haphazard human children running every which way, dressed in different colors, depending on if they were a Good or Bad Thought. When they were bumped into, they stated their names, which varied in length. The one Bella remembered distinctly was a little boy dressed in gray. "My-sister-doesn't-like-me," was his name.

Feelings, or Emotions, were easier to spot. All of them looked like Max, and were dressed exactly like he was. They were a bit crazier than Thoughts were, and talked of their business whether anyone cared or not.

"They think highly of themselves," Matthew muttered. "Being Max's Emotions and all."

The colorful monsters and humans that lived in the city were the Nerves. They sent what Matthew called Impulses to Max's Feelings.

"What will happen is one of the Nerves will receive a message from the Brain," Matthew told her, pointing to little paper airplanes zooming in the air. "And it will say what Max is feeling. The Nerve will then take one of the Impulses" – he held up an arm band – "and send it to that particular Feeling. The Impulse will wrap around the Feeling's wrist and connect back to the Center of the Brain."

The Beings who didn't live in the city were merely Characters, like she was. They had played a part in Max's drawings and stories, and were going to be used sometime again.

"The ones he doesn't use anymore go to the House of Retirement." Matthew gestured to a big house sitting atop a hill. "Every time a Character is no longer needed in Max's life, he or she is sent there."

"It looks kind of small…" Bella said, thinking about all the discarded Characters there had to be.

"It's bigger on the inside, and it grows when there's a new arrival."

"What do they do in there?"

Matthew shrugged. "I think they party or something. I don't know, once they go in, they never come out."

Bella stared at him. "They can't leave?"

"Oh, no, they can if they want. They're allowed to visit current Characters. It's just that doesn't happen all that often. From the ones that have talked to me, I think they must really like it in there."

Bella noticed that like the roads (the gray flat things on the ground), there was a string of flat squares – called screens – that ran in different directions. Each screen had buttons on it.

"These are Memories," Matthew said. "They're accessible to any Being in the Mind. They're labeled, and all you have to do is press the 'Play' button."

He picked one that bore the name, "Playing with Claire #6". In it, Max was playing tag with an older girl, whom Bella guessed was Claire. She quickly learned from the Memory that this was Max's eldest sister. From what she saw, she decided that Claire was much more pleasant to be around than the real Bella.

"What are those?" Bella pointed to four-legged barking animals that bounded after each other, decked in either angel wings or devil horns.

"Those are Dreams," Matthew explained. "Modeled after Max's dog, Stumpy. The ones with the wings are Good Dreams, and the ones with the Horns are Bad."

"Can you get rid of Bad Dreams?"

Matthew nodded. "We have something called a Wizzo-Shooter. You load one of the Bad Dreams in, and…WHAM! Out they go!"

"Where do they end up?"

Matthew frowned. "Hard to say. We don't normally get the same Dream in here more than three times, so I'm guessing they go out one of the Exit doors."

A blur flew by, and a smack was heard. Bella turned to see that a boy, about two years older than she was, had run into a nearby tree. His light-brown hair was cropped short, and he had medium-sized biceps bulging out of his shirt. He began to rub his head, clearly disoriented.

"Are…are you alright?" Bella asked.

"Just a scratch," the boy said, waving her off. "I'm okay, really."

"You're certain?" she asked, although she could see that there was no bump or anything on him.

"Well, considering vampires don't get nicked up too often…"

"You're a vampire?" Bella's eyes widened in surprise.

The boy, now standing, shrugged. "Um…was it that obvious?"

"No. Was it supposed to be?"

The boy looked at her in a way that reminded her of Matthew. "You're new, aren't you?"

Bella nodded. "I just got here. I'm Bella," she said brightly, sticking out her hand.

"I'm…Dan…" He shook her hand, and looked over her shoulder at Matt.

"She's an Imaginary Friend," Matthew informed Dan. "She's…she's not up to snuff, let's just say."

"Oh." Comprehension dawned on Dan's face. "Yeah. I was like that when I was new." He smiled at her. "Pretty scary at first, huh?"

Bella shook her head. "You have no idea…"

Matthew coughed. "I believe that you've had enough excitement for one day," he said. "It's almost nighttime in the Outside World, anyway."

"Where am I going to live? And sleep?"

"I can show her where our clan lives," Dan offered. "I'm sure they'd love to have her."

"Okay, then." Matthew waved. "I'll come tomorrow, and we can finish the tour." He nodded at Dan. "Take care of her. She's the first I.F., you know."

-

"So…this is where I'm gonna live?" Dan had taken her to a small circle of cottages on the edge of one of the forests. It was two levels, with the bedroom being on the top floor.

"Yeah. I know it doesn't seem like much, but vampires spend a lot of their time outside," Dan said. "Max likes to write about us a lot."

"Writes? What's that?"

Dan laughed. "You'll see tomorrow. I gotta get back to my own place. Don't wanna be out when the Dreams are loose. They're pretty crazy."

"Yeah…"

"Well…good night." Dan nodded and walked out of the room.

"Good night," Bella answered, and as soon as she lay down on the bed, she fell asleep.


	5. 3: SOS

_Hey, everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. The computer at my house was being used by someone other than me for a VERY IMPORTANT research paper...and y'all know my policy of school comes first. *sheepish grin* But the good news is that this week I'm off from school, and since I'm a loser with no life because I'm not going anywhere fun, I have time to update all three of my stories! YAY! _

_So here's another chapter! Enjoy!_

_-_

Chapter Three: SOS

Bella awoke with a joggle – a jerkle – a jerk – the next morning. She sat straight up to see Matthew and Dan on either side of her bed.

"What…what are you doing here?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing's wrong," Matthew said. He seemed almost amused. "I just came to get you for your first official day on the job."

"This early?" She pointed out the window, where the sun was rising through dusty rose-colored clouds.

Dan nodded grimly. "Max had a Bad Dream. Based on how long it took to get it into the Wizzo-Shooter, it's a doozy."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Do you feel anxious?" Matthew asked all of a sudden.

"What?" Bella had no idea how this was supposed to help.

"Do you feel anxious?" Matthew repeated. "Like you need to leave right now?"

Bella thought for a moment, and finally nodded. "Yes. Now that you mention it, that's…that's exactly how I feel."

"I see." Matthew gave her a knowing smile. "That's good."

"It's good?" Bella couldn't see how wanting to leave this place was a good thing. How was this supposed to help Max?

"All it means is that you're being called by Max," Dan explained.

"What about his mother? Or his sisters?"

"His sisters are still asleep," Matthew informed her, "but his mother's already calmed him down. I think it's just getting him to go back to sleep that's the problem."

Bella looked at the two of them skeptically. "And he wants to see me?"

"I don't think it's a matter of want," Dan said honestly. "I think Max needs you."

Bella took this in. "Oh." She had seen how his little face had been when his sister wouldn't play with him, and how badly she'd worked at making sure he'd felt better. That same feeling was now present once again, and she felt herself wanting to leave and help Max.

"Come on," Matthew said. "Let's get to the Exit."

-

"You're sure this will work?" Bella asked. They were standing in front of a plain-looking door, with the words "Exit" above it in red letters.

"Yeah. Just open the door, and there you'll be."

"Will…will I come back?"

"Of course you will!" Matthew laughed. "When Max is feeling better, he'll send you back here."

"Alright." She gave a little wave. "See you later."

She opened the door, and out she went.

-

She was sitting in a strange-looking room, filled with little figures of people and buildings. Outside the sky was still dark with little tiny holes of light poking through. In front of her was Max, crying profusely into his covers.

"Max? What's wrong?" she asked.

He looked up. "Belly?"

"It's me," she said. "I'm…I'm back."

"Awe you the nice Belly?"

Bella thought for a moment before nodding. "Um…yes."

Max's eyes bubbled with wet. "I had a bad dweam."

"I heard. What happened in it?"

"Belly told me she didn't wov me anymow," Max said. "And Mommy and Claywa and Daddy said so, too. They left me aw awone." The wet began to fall down his face. Bella was fascinated for a moment. She didn't know humans could leak.

"Are you broken?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Your eyes. They're leaking wet. Are they supposed to do that?"

"I'm cwying," said Max. "We do that when we'w sad." More of the wet rolled down his cheeks.

Bella reached out, transfixed. She caught one of the round drops on her finger and stared at it. "It's beautiful," she said.

"Cwying isn't pwetty. It's bad. I don't wike it." As he said this, more of it came forth, as if he couldn't help it.

Bella felt her chest begin to clench. "Do you need a hug?"

Max nodded, unable to talk. Before she could do so, he threw his arms around her waist, crying into her sweater. He made soft noises, and his breaths were deep and heavy. She carefully put her own arms around his shoulders and started to rock back and forth.

"It's alright, Max…it was only a dream…"

"I want Mommy and Daddy to not fight anymow," Max said. "I want Claywa and Belly to wike me."

Bella continued to rock him, not sure what to say. "I know, Max…I know…"

-

"Great job!" Matthew said when she came back through the oak front doors. "It went better than I thought it would."

"It did?" Bella didn't think so. Max had gone back to sleep, but she couldn't help but worry for the poor boy. His parents were separated, and his older sisters weren't paying much attention to him. He was lonely and seemingly unappreciated, something she felt that no child his age should go through.

"Is…everything alright?" Matthew asked. "You seem pale."

"I already _am_ pale…"

"I mean paler than usual. Did Max say something?"

"He just told me about his family."

"Oh, yes." Matthew cringed. "I'm aware of his situation."

Bella sighed. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"There's nothing more you can do than what you just did," Matthew assured her. "We may be a powerful part of Max, but we can't change the way things are."

"Even if we wanted to?"

"Even if we wanted to," Matthew said regretfully.

"So when Max makes all those wishes…I can't fulfill them?" Bella asked, already knowing what the answer is.

"Well, you're no fairy godmother," Matthew joked lightly. "They don't exist in the Outside World." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You're doing fine. Trust me. If there's something more you could do, I'll let you know."

"Okay," Bella said, still very unconvinced.

"Come on," Matthew said. "We can finish your tour, and then you'll meet your new family of vampires."

But even as he said this, Bella had started to tune everything out. There had to be someway to help Max.

And whatever that way was, she was going to find out.


	6. 4: Not One of Us

_The name Mahree I got from this awesome Disney Channel Original Movie called "The Color of Friendship" that talked about discrimination and learning to accept other people despite the color of their skin. Mahree is one of the main characters, and she and her family live in Africa._

Chapter Four: Not One of Us

"Well…this is us," Dan said, waving his hand. "This is my clan."

After seeing the rest of her new home, Dan had taken Bella with him to meet the other vampires. They were standing in front of what looked like a juice bar, with a dozen or so children their age sitting on stools or leaning against the counter. Some of them were holding cups with a red-looking liquid in them.

"Don't be shy," Dan told her. "They're all really friendly." She could tell that there was uncertainty in his voice, but she wasn't going to let that bother her.

"Hey, Danny Boy!" one of the boys called, a smirk on his face. "Where've you been? Picking flowers in the meadow again?"

Bella felt Dan tense up. The boy who had addressed him had dirty blonde hair and was dressed in a charcoal-black suit with a tie that matched the liquid in his cup. His eyes were a smoky gray with flecks of gold.

"None of your business, John," Dan said angrily.

The boy called John leapt from his perch on a stool and approached them. He fixed his eyes upon Bella. "Who do we have here?" he asked menacingly. "Don't tell me you picked up another—"

"This is Bella," Dan cut in. "She's Max's Imaginary Friend."

Bella noticed that John seemed surprised at this, but ploughed on anyway. "So you came here to gloat about how she's your new girlfriend?"

A few of the vampires snickered behind John. Bella saw the others look concerned. One in particular, a girl with pretty blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes that were the same color as her dress, seemed hurt by John's comment.

"No," Dan said through clenched teeth. "She's a vampire. I figured she could live with us."

John snickered and shook his head. "Dan, Dan, Dan. Poor, troubled Dan. I thought that, as you were the, and I quote, 'last vampire', we weren't accepting any newcomers into our clan."

Bella looked at her friend. "Dan? Is that true?"

He didn't answer. He looked like John had slapped him in the face. "I didn't think Max would make anymore vampires. I forgot about our pact."

"Oh, it's true, all right," John answered. "So I'm afraid that you, my dear, will have to go back where you came from."

"I have nowhere else to go," Bella said.

John's face feigned sympathy. "Oh, no. That's just too bad." He rolled his eyes and turned around. "Dan, you best take her back to Matthew. I suddenly feel…hungry…"

"You know the rules," the blonde vampire said gravely, standing up and facing John. "We cannot feed on one another. It's impossible to do, anyway."

"It. Was. A. Joke," John said meanly. "Chill, Mahree."

"How can I 'chill' when you're threatening to do something that goes against our laws? And to someone as innocent as she is?"

John laughed harshly. "I should have expected you'd say something like this. After all, you _would _stand up for the weaklings."

"And you _would _eat all of them."

The vampires who had snickered made sounds in their throats that almost sounded like growls. John's cocky smile fled from his face.

"I can't help the way I'm wired to live," he told her seriously. "And neither can you." He moved his glare to Bella. "Dan, I want you to keep an eye on this one. She may be a vampire, but she's not one of us." He nodded to those who had been growling, and they left.

Bella stared after them, unable to move and too shocked to speak. This was supposed to be her new family?

"Sorry about John," Dan said to Bella. "He thinks he's Max's gift to the Mind just because he feeds on humans."

This was something that had been bothering her. "When you say feed…do you mean…"

"He drinks blood, Bella."

Bella knew what blood was. It was the sticky red stuff that helped humans live. But if vampires drank blood, did that mean…

"We kill people. And animals. We drain their blood. Don't we?"

Dan seemed uncomfortable. "No, I wouldn't say—"

"What, then?" Bella was angry now.

"It's our life source. It's how we survive."

"How we survive?" Bella cried. "We're monsters!"

"Not all of us." The blonde girl had come up to them. "Some of us don't hunt for our food."

"Then how—"

"That's what the juice bar is for." She held up her cup. "Always supplied with all types of blood - both human and animal. They carry O- now, actually."

"Where does the blood come from?" Bella demanded.

The girl shrugged. "It's just there. I think Max is aware that some of us don't like the idea of…" She didn't finish, knowing it was a very touchy subject.

"Then how do the others..."

"Max creates humans and animals for those who like to hunt, but he doesn't give them brains or feelings. They're just...there. They don't feel anything when they're killed. And although I feel uneasy about it, I'll admit that it's almost humane."

"Oh. Well, that isn't so bad, I guess."

The girl smiled. "You're very cute," she said.

Bella frowned. "Cute? What's that?" Matthew had said her fangs were "cute", but she didn't know what it meant.

"She's new," Dan explained. Bella saw his face was beet red. "She…doesn't understand everything."

"That's all right," the girl said. "We all are a bit confused at first." She held out her hand. "I'm Mahree."

"I'm Bella."

"Nice to meet you, Bella."

Dan cleared his throat rather loudly. Bella was about to ask him why on earth he was doing this when Mahree spoke.

"It's good to see you…making friends, Dan."

"So you're gonna listen to John?" Dan asked, his face turning a deeper shade of red. "I'm just helping Matthew show her the ropes. I swear."

"Oh, no, I believe you," Mahree assured him. "It's just…you're not very good at making friends."

"I am too." Bella could tell he wasn't really angry.

Mahree giggled. "Whatever you say." Her face was turning red, as well. Bella wasn't entirely sure, but she thought it looked like Dan and Mahree liked each other.

"What did he mean by I'm not one of you?" she asked.

Mahree sighed. "John doesn't like newcomers. Come to think of it, he doesn't like most people. He thinks that those who feed on human blood are the 'real' vampires. To him, humans aren't living, breathing souls with something to give in this world. They only exist to be eaten by his kind."

Bella took this in, and quickly went to her next question. "What about the ones who feed on animals?"

"He thinks were weaker, not as tough. He calls us squeamish because we can't stand the thought of drinking blood of the beings we were modeled after. Also, animal blood isn't as potent as human blood."

"And the ones who drink both?"

Mahree frowned in confusion, then comprehension dawned on her face. "There aren't many of those. But I'm guessing you're one."

Bella nodded.

"Well, including you…there are only two in existence."

"Who's the other?"

Dan looked down at his feet. "Me."

Bella gasped. "You drink both, too?"

He nodded. "John's had a bone to pick with me since Max created me. To him and his buddies, I'm dangerous, because I can stomach both human and animal blood. They think I'll be more powerful than they are."

"That's not fair!"

"A lot of things aren't," Mahree said with a sad smile. "But all of that's gonna change. Matthew announced that we're gonna vote for a new Head of the clan soon."

"He did?" Dan asked.

Mahree nodded, excited. "This is our chance to make a difference. John and his followers have been bullying us way too long – all because we haven't had a Head reinforcing rules. And since the majority of us don't like those goons, we're sure to be rid of them."

"I don't know…"

"I'm sure Bella wants a change. Don't you?"

Bella wasn't sure how to answer. She'd known John for all of two seconds, but already she found him rather unpleasant. And if he was as bad as Mahree and Dan said, then she hoped he was put in his place.

"Yeah. You guys don't deserve to be put down. We're all one big family. You guys might have disagreements, but that doesn't mean you need to hate each other." Even as she said the words, Bella realized what needed to happen with Max's family. They needed to look beyond their arguments and fights and see that, at the root of it all, they were family.

And no one messed with family.

Not even its members.

"Bella? What are you thinking about?" Dan and Mahree were peering at her curiously.

"Nothing. I just…I think I might have found a way to help Max with his sister."

Both of the other vampires seemed interested in this. "Poor Max could use some assistance," Mahree finally said. "He's always so depressed about things."

"Come on," Bella said, happier than she had been a moment before. "I'll tell you about it over some blood."


	7. 5: They Have Me Trapped

_A/N: Hey! Sorry I haven't been updating any of my stories! I'm once again faced with a full schedule, in which writing fanfics falls WAY DOWN the list, unfortunately! But in a couple of weeks, I should have ample free time to write. So don't lose faith! I'll update ASAP!_

_About This Chapter: I'm introducing a new character. Her name is Juniper, and she is the Seer of the Beyond in Max's Mind. She has visions of what is to come for Max and the Beings in his mind. She passes them on to no one other than Matthew, and using them as a sort of roadmap, he then tells those in charge of the Mind so they can regulate what goes on there (and prevent any potential malfunctions and stuff). The downside of this is that Juniper must stay isolated from the other Beings, for reasons that are revealed in the chapter below._

_Enjoy!_

-

Chapter Five: They Have Me Trapped

"You really think talking to him about working things out is going to work?" Dan asked uncertainly.

"It has to," Bella insisted, sipping blood from her straw. "I mean, I spend almost every day with him, and sometimes he likes to simply sit and talk about what's been going on."

"You have to take into account he's only three," Mahree put in.

Bella sighed. "I really don't like talking down to him. I know much less about the world than he does. It seems wrong. And I think he's aware of a lot more than anyone gives him credit for."

Mahree nodded. "I have a feeling you're right, Bella. But I'm just not sure. Matthew knows from experience that we're not here to solve Max's problems for him. All we do is play parts in his stories, and maybe nudge him in the right direction now and then, but we cannot outright state something he needs to do."

"She's right," Dan said. "I don't think this is a good idea. No one's ever done something like this before."

Bella knew how her friends felt, but she had a nagging in her mind that told her she needed to do this.

"There's always a first time…right?"

-

Try as she might, Bella was beginning to feel the burden of being a figment of Max's Imagination. She would hint at what she thought Max should do about his family, or sometimes say it out of the blue. Each time, it was as if Max hadn't even heard her. To him, it felt like a sudden wind picked up and blew by, disappearing as fast as it had come.

She became discouraged after that, and stopped suggesting things to him. His crying fits came faster and bigger. Bella found herself getting very little sleep at night.

_Don't complain. You're Max's Imaginary Friend. You're doing your job. _

_You're doing your job…_

-

A beautiful redhead was sitting under her favorite tree, gazing at the birds as they soared by. Her sea-blue eyes pinpointed all of her surroundings in detail. She carefully smoothed the wrinkles of her white halter dress, waiting patiently.

She finally saw him. He landed in front of her, his big white wings folding behind him. His red hair was a bit messy from the wind whistling through it.

She smiled. "I was beginning to worry about you," she said, her voice melodic.

He began to brush himself off. "You know I'm very busy, Juniper," he replied. "I'm Keeper of the Gate, after all."

"And my job is a simple task? The last time I checked, being clairvoyant wasn't exactly easy."

He rolled his eyes. "Leave it to my younger sister to hound me about working."

"I was just teasing, Matthew. You do a very good job at what you do."

He gave her a warm smile. "I know you were joking. But thank you, anyway. So…what's this important business that you told me we need to talk about?"

Her face creased in concentration. "I'm concerned for one of Max's Characters. A vampire. Her name is Bella. She's his Imaginary Friend."

Matthew nodded. "Nothing I don't already know. I've personally seen that she adjusts properly to our world."

"She's been trying to persuade Max into working things out with his family."

Matthew sighed, perturbed. "I suspected as much. I've been watching them through the Sneak-O-Scope, and from Max's perspective, she doesn't say much. It's all censored out because of the restriction."

"Yes…the restriction."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Juniper's eyes gave a momentary flash of fear. "You know where I stand when it comes to influencing Max in the right direction. There has to be some other way."

"Juni…who better to be his Conscience than a version of Max himself?"

"He's too young. He's not even all human."

"And you aren't?"

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You're missing my point. His wild tendencies might not be a good influence on Max."

"He'll grow up. We all have to at some point."

She stared up at the golden branches of her juniper tree, ignoring what her brother had said. "My concern is that he'll discover Bella's attempts at stealing his job."

Matthew shook his head. "She doesn't know she's doing that."

"I know she doesn't. But he doesn't know that she doesn't know."

Matthew tried to make sense of what she'd just said before continuing. "So what do we do about it?"

"For right now, leave them be. I've seen the future, Matthew. Things will turn out. They will become good friends in time. I just wish I could tell everyone else…"

"You know you can't do that. It'll just give them false hopes. Empty promises. Because…"

"…my visions aren't always correct," Juniper finished for him. "Or they don't explain the whole picture. That's the curse that comes with the power, I suppose."

"Are you kidding me? Juni, you're the best Seer of the Beyond we've ever had."

Juniper gave a sad smile. "She's very feisty…full of energy."

"What?"

"Bella, I mean. She's a lively one. It's a shame she's trapped."

"What do you mean, trapped?"

"She wants to help Max, but she's unable to. Just like I'd like to visit the other places in Max's Mind, but I'm forced to stay here."

Matthew closed his eyes. "Juni, not this again."

"Matt, you're sure they won't let me out? You know they have me trapped in this meadow."

"I can try to ask again, but I don't think it'll work. They don't like the Seer to leave her position for fear that she'll tell everyone of her visions."

"Well, then. You should tell Bella that she'll be successful."

"In what way?" Matthew asked.

"I'm not sure. But I have seen that she will go far."

"Juni?"

"Matt, she'll go far," Juniper repeated, lost in her vision. "The question is…how far?"


	8. 6: The Super Wolf and the Warrior

Chapter Six: The Super Wolf and the Warrior

Bella was walking through a meadow a few days later, trying to let her mind wander away from Max and his situation. She didn't like the helpless feeling she had when he talked about his mom and dad and sisters.

A twig snapped. Bella's vampire instincts kicked in as she whirled around, looking for the source of the noise. There appeared to be nothing there, but her vampire senses were going into overdrive, the way they usually did when John or one of his cronies would try to pull a sneak attack on her.

She sniffed. The scent was definitely not a vampire. It was a mixture of the smell Max gave off and the scent of a dog, or whatever it was Max was so fascinated with. She walked on, but kept herself alert.

She sensed scrambling behind her. She squared her shoulders and pretended not to notice anything. It was better if whoever was stalking her thought she was unaware of them so she could catch them by surprise at the last moment.

Then came the running. The pad, pad, pad of feet through the grass and flowers. Bella couldn't fight her curiosity and decided to turn around earlier than she planned. She needed to see what this strange creature looked like before she did anything.

She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her. This creature had to be a figment of some crazy dream. Barreling towards her was something she didn't know even existed, let alone lived in the same world she did.

It looked to be a wolf – a white one, with large, sharp ears and long, wiry whiskers. But as it drew closer, Bella could see that this thing was also a human. At least the face part was. Its hair was a dark brown, as were its eyes, and its mouth was curled in a snarl.

It came closer still. She could now tell that it was wearing a suit of sorts, which explained why it smelled like a dog-wolf-thing. It was actually a human, like Max.

She figured that she should start running, but for some reason, she didn't want to give chase to this thing. She was interested in what it was, and wanted to ask it questions. So she stayed put.

When it finally realized she wasn't running away, it stopped, but continued to growl. It hunched over, like vampires did when they were being defensive.

"Are you the one they call Bella the Vampire?"

Bella nodded. "Yes. That's me," she said politely.

It wasn't having an effect on the creature. It didn't move an inch. "I've been informed that you've been helping Max with his…family problems."

"I've been trying," Bella explained, saddened by the mention of the subject. "But every time I try to tell him what I think he should do, he doesn't hear me. It's like there's some sort of whooshing in his ears."

The creature's growl deepened. "That's because there _is _a whooshing in his ears! He cannot take advice from anyone in his Brain other than his Conscience."

"Oh…what's a Conscience?"

The creature shook its head. "It's the voice that tells Max what's good and bad, you ridiculous girl! It guides him in the right direction! That's why he doesn't hear you when you talk about that stuff. You're not his Conscience."

"Oh. That makes sense." Bella frowned. "Well, then…who _is_ his Conscience?"

The creature straightened itself proudly. "I am."

Bella stared at the thing. It looked no older than Max himself. This thing kind of looked like Max, too, now that she thought of it…

"You? But…you're so young."

"What's that got to do with anything?" the thing asked angrily. "I was made from Max's image. I know what's best for him."

Bella nodded, understanding. "That's really neat."

The thing didn't seem satisfied. If anything, it seemed to be angrier than before.

"It's my job, and _my job_ alone. What I don't get is why _you_, a Character of sorts, would try to steal it."

"What?" Bella took a step backward. "Why would I do that?"

"You've been trying to tell Max what to do for a while now," the thing said. "And that's supposed to be _my_ task. If I were you, I'd back off pretty fast."

A shock of fear went through her. "Why?"

"I'm half-wolf," he said, his voice growing into a growl. "And when I'm angry…you don't wanna stick around." He crouched lower, his teeth bared.

Bella didn't know what to do. Her vampire instincts were telling her to fight back, to teach this little twerp a lesson. The regular part of her was screaming at her to hightail it out, or otherwise she'd be in some deep water. Her feet refused to move, grounding her where she was.

"What part of leaving don't you understand?" the boy-wolf-thing asked her. "I don't want to hurt you. That's why you'd better get out of here. When I get angry, I'm not always able to control my outbursts."

Feet. Move. Now.

Nothing.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the imminent pain.

"Unhand that lady, foul beast!" came a cry from the other side of the meadow.

Bella turned to see a boy with black hair standing with a sharp object in his hand. He ran toward them, looking ready to take on anything. She found herself unable to look away.

The boy slowed when he reached them. "Max! What are you doing here?" he asked, putting the sharp thing in his belt.

The wolf stood up and faced the boy, clearly annoyed. "Trying to take care of things, Chris," he said, trying to maintain his composure. "I finally found out who was stealing my job." He pointed at Bella.

The boy frowned. "This is the 'horrible monster' you were talking about?"

Bella's eyes widened. Is that what this "Max" had called her?

"Yes." Max stamped his foot. "And I was almost ready to tear her to shreds when _you _showed up and ruined everything!" he whined.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Max, you're only, what, three?"

"And-a-half!" he added. "Believe me, I was ready to do some hard-core fighting."

"I'm sure."

"This from Mr. Dramatics?" The wolf-boy deepened his voice, imitating his friend. "'Unhand that lady, foul beast!' Where did that come from?"

"Touché." The boy suddenly turned his piercing blue eyes on her, and her breath caught in her throat. "Sorry if he was giving you trouble. Max can overact sometimes."

"Hey! So do you!"

"I'm well aware of that." The boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Christian. I'm a Warrior."

Bella took his hand, feeling a tingle up her arm. "Warrior?" The word was strange to her. It sounded dangerous and exciting at the same time.

"Yes. We train for battle, in case there is any need for it." His eyebrows knitted together. "And you must be a vampire, am I right?"

She nodded, unable to say anything. Her heart was going faster than it usually did, but she didn't know why.

"Well, it's custom that Warriors and Vampires hate each other. Surely you know that."

"Right." She didn't know that. She was disappointed. This boy seemed very interesting.

"But you're nothing like what the other Warriors say about the Vampires," Chris said quickly. "I've never seen one up close before. The others tell me they're vicious and merciless."

Bella was about to defend her kind when Chris looked at her. Really looked at her.

"But…not you."

She felt a warm feeling in her face. "Thank you."

Chris turned to the wolf. "Max?"

"What?"

"I think you have something to say to…?"

"Bella," Bella said.

"Yes…Bella."

The thing called Max came forward and hung his head. "Sorry I was mean," he said in monotone, clearly not the least bit sorry.

Chris ruffled Max's ears. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Max growled and said nothing.

"Okay, then." Chris suddenly became uncomfortable. "I'll just…um…leave, then."

"Really?" Bella asked, a bit disappointed.

"I was training when I got a message that someone was in trouble." He gave a pointed look at Max. "My little friend sets off our alarms very easily."

"Alarms?"

"Well, that's how we know when someone needs our help. That's the other thing we do. We rescue those in need."

"That's…" Bella wanted to say a hundred great things right then. But she never said a single one.

"Bella!" Mahree and Dan came running up to her.

"Hi, guys," she said.

"Is everything okay?" Mahree asked, concerned. She took notice of Max and Chris for the first time, and immediately went into vampire mode. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine…" Bella assured her friend.

"What are you doing here?" Dan inquired Chris. Bella saw that Dan was also looking very defensive.

"I'm on duty," Chris informed them coldly. "I was sent to save your friend Bella from…Max." He gestured to the boy in the wolf suit, who was now content chasing a butterfly.

Mahree and Dan exchanged looks before looking at Bella. "You're sure he didn't try anything funny?" they asked.

"No, of course not," Bella said. "Why would he?"

"Vampire and Warriors don't really get along," Dan explained.

"I figured…" Bella said flatly. "But why?"

"A sense of pride," Mahree told her. "We're both very powerful species of Characters."

"You mean…you guys fight just because each group thinks it's stronger than the other?"

Dan nodded. "Something like that."

"Well…what's wrong with Max?"

"Guilty by association," Dan said.

"It's ridiculous, really," Chris admitted. "I really don't like the rules, but…"

"You Warriors think you can bend the rules, do you?" Mahree sneered. "If you think you're so tough, why don't I just go and let Matthew know you were bothering us…?"

Chris got the message. "I was just leaving, anyway. Come on, Max." He looked right at Bella. "I'm glad you're safe now."

Max waved begrudgingly before trailing after him.

"Let's go, Bella," Dan said. "You shouldn't be out by yourself around here."

Bella hardly heard him. Mahree noticed her friend seemed a bit spacey.

"She's probably still shocked. Just give her a little time to calm down."

In truth, she was shocked. But not because of the reasons Mahree thought.

Those words would ring in her head for a very long time:

_"I'm glad you're safe now."_

Bella didn't know it yet, but what had happened in the meadow was going to spark a chain of events that would change everything.


End file.
